Method of recharging smelters&#39; crucibles.



N0. 7Il,468. Patented Oct. 2l. |902.

- G. B. BROWN.

m-:Tnob 0F BECHARGING sMELTEns cnucluas.

(Application mea Apr. s, 1901.)

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ma mams Parzns coJ-HoYcMTHo., 'msmscwn o c 4o a Haring shape to facilitate its application to y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE." v

GEORGE B. BROWN, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO CARPEN- TER STEEL COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OIF RECHARGING SMELTERS CRUCIBLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 711,468, dated October 21, 11902.,

Application tiled April 3, 1901.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE B.'BROWN, of Reading, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Method of Recharging Smelters 5 Crucibles, of which the following is a specification. Y

The object of .my invention is to guard smelters crucibles from the injury`to which they are liable from'contraction if they are lo permitted to materially Cool down after having once been heated.

To that end my method consists in applying a protecting-shield to the hot crucible im-` mediately after its molten contents have been l5 poured out, introducing the new charge into the Crucible, and then removing the protecting-shield and replacing the newly-charged Crucible in the smelting-furnace.

Mechanism suitable for the accomplish- 2o ment of my object, which is herein shown and described merely for the purpose of illustration, forms the subject of my pending application, Serial No. 52,140, tiled March 2l, 1901, in which the several features of said mechanism are specifically claimed. The said mechanism embraces a protector consisting of a hollow, tapering, and preferably asbestoslled shield, which is adapted in part to iit the upper portion of an ordinary barrel-shaped 3o crucible and which projects somewhat above the mouth of the crucible with a continuing taper and at its upper end is united to the lower` end of a hollow truncated cone, which. serves as the funnel through which the charge is fed into the crucible. The funnel is provided on the opposite sides with handles for the application of manual orother power, by which the shield and crucible are shaken. Preferably the lower end of the shield is given the crucible.

My mechanism is advantageous in a variety of ways. It prevents the loss of heat by radiation from the crucible, it protects the bystanders from the heat of the hot crucible, it presents a convenient receptacle for the charge, and its handles facilitate the shaking by .which the charge is made to settle down Serial No. 54,219. (No modelb l from the funnel and in the crucible. Finally, it is susceptible of easyand rapid application, because being what may be called a dropshield7 its seating upon the Ihot crucible is assisted by its own gravity.

rIhe accompanying drawings, illustrating the improvement applied to a crucible, are as follows:

Figure l is a top View with funnel-cover re- I moved. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section taken through the plane indicated by the dotted line ma; on Fig. 1. p

The drawings are designed to represent an ordinary graphite crucible having a Hat botvtom A and an approximatelybarrel-shaped body B with an open mouth C. The shield D is preferably composed of an inner comparatively thin iron shell CZ and an outer thicker iron shell d', inclosing a sheet of asbestos e.. A ring f, interposed between the shells d and d,is perforated to admit the pas sage through it of the rivets f, by means of which the members of the shield are secured to each other at the bottom. A similarly-perforated ring g admits the rivets g', lby .which the upper ends of the shells d and d' are fastened together and to the suitably-perforated flaring lower end h of the funnel H. Handles I I are secured to opposite sides of the funnel lower end of the shield is preferably formed with the outward flare K, which assists in the guidance of the shield downward upon the hot crucible, and which by reason of the body of air between it and the lower part of the crucible is especially effective in protecting nthe bystanders from the heat radiating therefrom.

Although not absolutely essential, it is preferred to so proportion the diameter of the upper end of the shield and the bottom of the funnel that the charge in falling will be directed toward the middle of the mouth of the crucible.

It Will be perceived that the shield, which is easily applied by merely lowering it upon the crucible,is also easily detached therefrom by raising it.

While the mechanism herein described is that which I prefer, I do not Wish to be understood as limiting myself to its use,because the essential features of my method would be practiced by the prompt application of any form of protecting-shield to the hot Crucible and the recharging of the shielded crucible ing the shielded crucible preparatory to the removal of the shield and the introduction of the newly-charged Crucible into the smeltingfurnace.

GEORGE B. BROWN. Witnesses:

THos. M.YBELKNA1 A. M. JONES. 

